"The gift of reason from the Holy Spirit is so necessary in today's world so that the devil's wiles do not deceive the human person," said Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Living in a "world of fakes, when what is desired is presented as real," the gift of reason from the Holy Spirit is necessary so as not to "succumb to this apparent fog that the tempter wants to inspire in us, so that they could delve into reality and understand and know it correctly."

The words seem to directly respond to comments made by several world leaders regarding the origin of the war.

Many, including Pope Francis, have argued that NATO had been "barking" at Russia's door.

Shevchuk's remarks were published on the official website of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Recently, La Civiltà Cattolica published the full transcript of a conversation the pontiff had with editors of Jesuit-run media in May.

According to the transcript, Francis said, "There are no metaphysical good guys and bad guys here, in an abstract way.

"Something global is emerging, with elements that are very intertwined with each other."

While condemning "the ferocity, the cruelty of Russian troops," the pontiff also said that "we must not forget the real problems if we want them to be solved." He singled out the armaments industry as one of several factors incentivising war.

He also quoted the opinion of a head of state he met several months before the start of the war who allegedly expressed his concern "about how NATO was moving."

"I asked him why and he replied, ‘They are barking at Russia's doorstep. And they don't understand that the Russians are imperial and they don't allow any foreign power to come near them'," Francis said.

The pontiff added that this same person said, with the way NATO was acting, "the situation could lead to war."

Shevchuk, who has known Pope Francis since attending the seminary in Buenos Aires when the pontiff was archbishop, contradicted these statements.

He said that "the causes of this war lie within Russia itself. And the Russian aggressor is trying to solve its internal problems with the help of external aggression. It projects its illnesses onto others and blames the whole world for them.

"We see and know, experiencing here in Ukraine, that Russia's aggression against Ukraine is completely unprovoked," he said.

"Any who think that some external cause has provoked Russia into military aggression are either themselves in the grip of Russian propaganda or are simply and deliberately deceiving the world."

He closed the video by asking the faithful of the five-million-strong Eastern Rite church to pray for politicians, diplomats, church and religious figures to receive the gift of reason from the Holy Spirit.

Further pushback came overnight from Kyiv's Latin rite bishop.

In a new interview Bishop Vitaliy Krivitskiy said that while a papal visit to Ukraine would be a source of hope, it is not currently possible due to security concerns and a growing distrust of the pontiff given some of his recent public remarks on the war.

Speaking to Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian bishops, Krivitskiy said, "The pope's intention to be in the midst of a suffering people is for us Catholics, starting with me as a bishop, a reason for great hope."

"We feel his closeness which is manifested through his repeated calls for a ceasefire and with concrete gestures that have also resulted in multiple dispatches of humanitarian aid. And then there is his constant prayer that involves the whole church. His visit would give us further courage," he said.

Krivitskiy said it is not possible to estimate a timeline for when a potential papal visit to Ukraine might take place

Not only does the pope need a high level of security that would be challenging to provide given that most Ukrainian soldiers are deployed to the frontline in the fight against Russia, but "It should be added that, compared to the beginning of the conflict, a part of the population did not welcome the pope's words, which were considered incorrect," Krivitskiy said.

Though he did not refer to which statements the pope had made, it is well known that Pope Francis's hesitancy to back the arming of Ukraine in its fight against Russia and his suggestion that NATO could have provoked the war have caused widespread controversy.

Sources

• Crux Now
• The Tablet
• Crux Now

They can be seen praying for peace, defending their nation, staying behind to care for loved ones, mourning loss and death, and fleeing to bring their children to safety all symbolise hope for Ukraine, says Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk.

In his opinion, the women symbolise "fearlessness, a symbol of victory of life over death, a symbol of the fact that Ukraine will stand even through such inhumane circumstances.

"When we speak of our homeland, our Ukraine, which is standing, which is fighting, I see before my eyes the image of a woman. A woman as a symbol of Ukraine."

Images of the many faces of women in the Ukraine war show them building and defending the future, protecting, feeding and caring for their loved ones, Shevchuk says.

"When we care for our people who are hiding in bomb shelters, we see first of all women. The woman is today the symbol of the strength and courage of Ukraine."

Female strength gives Ukraine hope, he believes.

Shevchuk also says he is grateful and praying for the women in the military, defending their homeland.

"Who can fully comprehend the pain of a woman, a mother, who mourns the death of her son killed in war? Or a woman who has lost her husband, brother or sister? But most of all we are amazed by women who stand in prayer before God," praying for their city and their country, he said.

At present Shevchuk is preparing for Pope Francis's consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The consecration will take place during a penitential prayer service in St Peter's Basilica this Friday.

Ukrainian Catholics continue to pray to the Mother of God, and "we would like to dedicate women and the women of Ukraine" to her protection, Shevchuk says.

Source

• Detroiut Catholic
• Image: WHYY

Francis later assured a top Ukrainian Greek Catholic leader he would do "everything I can" to help.

Usually, popes receive ambassadors and heads of state in the Vatican. Diplomatic protocol would have called for the Vatican foreign minister to summon the Russian ambassador.

It was a sign of his anger at Moscow's invasion, and his willingness to appeal personally for an end to hostilities, that saw Francis break with protocol and travel the short distance to the Russian Embassy.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed the visit, and officials said they knew of no such previous papal initiative.

"The Holy See press office confirms that the pope went to the Russian Embassy to the Holy See on Via della Conciliazione, clearly to express his concern about the war. He was there for just over a half-hour," Bruni said.

Ambassador Aleksandr Avdeyev told Russian media: "The focus of the conversation was the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. Pope Francis expressed great concern for the situation of the entire population, both in the Donbas (in Eastern Ukraine) and in other areas, and called for the protection of children, the protection of the sick and suffering, the protection of people".

Avdeev also categorically denied to the Rome correspondent of the Russian news agency TASS that Pope Francis had offered to mediate the conflict, an idea reported by the Argentine news agency Télam.

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church welcomed Francis' protocol-bending diplomatic intervention. He said he hoped it would help dialogue prevail over force.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk said the pope later phoned him in Kyiv and assured him, "I will do everything I can".

"In particular, the pope praised the decision to remain with the people and to be at the service of the neediest". This included opening the basement of Resurrection Cathedral in Kyiv as a bomb shelter. It was already being used by dozens of people including families with children.

"The Holy Father assured His Beatitude Sviatoslav of his closeness, support and prayers" the press office said. At the end of the call, the pope gave his blessing to the Ukrainian people.

Ukrainian supporters gather at the Vatican on Sunday for Angelus prayer.

Angelus prayer

On Sunday, as people gathered in St Peter's Square for the midday recitation of the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis said his heart was "broken" by the war in Ukraine, and he pleaded again, "Silence the weapons!"

"Many times, we prayed that this path would not be taken," he said, but rather than giving up "we beg God more intensely."

With many of the people in the square holding Ukrainian flags, Pope Francis greeted them the way they traditionally greet each other, "Slava Isusu Chrystu," meaning, "Glory to Jesus Christ."

Francis has also called for dialogue to end the conflict and has urged the faithful to set Ash Wednesday as a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Ukraine.

Sources

• Religion News Service
• Catholic News Service
• America Magazine
• Catholic News Service

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said there was no need to wait for conditions to be ideal, and the visit could take place even in the current circumstances.

Shevchuk said he had invited the Holy Father to visit Ukraine several times previously. "We are hopeful. Gestures are very important, and visiting Ukraine would be a very strong gesture for all of humanity".

Ukraine is predominately Orthodox, but about 10% of the population belong to the Eastern, or Byzantine-rite, Catholic Church whose followers are in allegiance with Rome.

Russia has massed troops near Ukraine but denies planning an attack.

"There is a consensus in Ukraine, not just among Catholics but also among Orthodox and even non-believers, that Pope Francis is the most important moral authority in the world today," Shevchuk said in Italian.

"The people say that if the pope comes to Ukraine, the war will end. They see the gesture of a papal visit as one of a messenger of peace".

On January 26, Francis led an international day of prayer for peace in Ukraine, calling for dialogue to prevail over partisan interests.

A Rhode Island priest is showing solidarity with the plight of the people of the overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian nation.

"Russia is surrounding Ukraine with troops. What else can I do but pray?" said Father Thomas O'Neill, 79, a senior priest of the Diocese of Providence.

Father O'Neill embarked on a pilgrimage of prayer as he rode his bicycle from Middletown to St Patrick Church in Providence in late January.

He stopped at churches along the way to offer prayers for peace in the region.

He expressed his solidarity with the Ukrainian people, noting it is not just geopolitics at work but also Catholic social teaching.

"It's an issue of democracy; it's an issue of citizenship," he said.

Sources

Reuters

Catholic News Service